Feb. 18, 2024 Sun p.m. - New Spiritual You #5

I remember when the news that song the new spiritual use special events for 2024 theme is about spiritual maturity after these different steps that Mike mazzalongo takes us along with a highly recommend that you do the lessons that you missed go to the website finish them up because they build on each other and they make for good lessons to encourage you to develop these spiritual disciplines like we were talking about this morning and tonight. We'll be talkin about surrender as one of those steps to render not a goal. Put some dishes at the beginning of this series. Is that the new you equals being christ-like and bolted into the image of Christ all the time. Do the power of God's holy spirit and through the power of His word. Right? And so far some of the disciplines that we talked about is intimacy, which is developing a closer walk with God Simplicity, which is removing and reordering removing and reordering those things that tend to spoil intimacy with God and Kay and oftentimes complicated things off to get in the way of intimacy with God. So Simplicity is a very good thing and it was very profound because I always talked about this tired of hearing it but going out to polishing the pulpit and just that morning coffee on the deck. Yeah looking into the Smoky Mountains. Yeah. Yeah, it's it's Sublime. It's absolutely amazing. That's simple whatever reason I feel closer to God and and reassured and his existence and it's it's it's amazing silence and Solitude three and four. This is how this is learning to be still and listening or hearing What God Says once we detach from the world in order to draw near to him can be understated. I think there are ways that we need to develop that allows us to shut out the outside world so that we can internal be internal in our thinking and draw closer to God and and hear him in the quiet and said it's amazing oftentimes in the Bible. Forgot to be recognized man had to stop and be still even the children of Israel escaping from Egypt and they were worried at the red. See you there. And you know, what we're going to do. He's going to get us now. The command was Bastille. And so I think that could be overlooked. So that's a good one talk about the fifth. All right, and this topic is a difficult one because it directly confront our physical nature our carnal of fleshly walk in the world as we are cardinal and fleshly be and in order for us to surrender it directly contradicts how we feel we should be operating from a physical standpoint. And so surrender is our topic that we're going to talk about tonight. It is the most difficult because it is in conflict with our son. And I think it's good for us. We do spend some time here. I know Tony and I did it when I was here as well trying to more precisely States the Christian walk away is that that I have done that Victoria's father the same thing as well for us to realize that, you know, we mostly Are Spiritual Beings human beings and for us when we come to that recognition, I think that would help us in this discipline of surrender because the things that were called to surrender are closely related to our human being this and not our spiritual being this that make sense and soul. That's what surrender is all about. So what what does surrender to God mean? All right, it means releasing our grip or our hold on our rights. Talked about that a lot when we talked about forgiveness years ago that one of the ways that we get to forgiveness is giving up our rights are rights of Revenge and our rights of what we think our rights are for Court Justice and all those types of things so that when we surrender we release those rights, we release our plans our dreams and putting these into God's hands. That doesn't mean you don't have planned. It doesn't mean that you don't have dreams but you're allowing God to be a part of that process and I just ate part but the leading part in in that process for example, not my will but your will be done in the Bible, right Lord. Not my plan. Not my dream not my rights your plans your dreams your Visions your righteousness be done in my life. That's what surrender is social running is the most difficult discipline because it goes against our This this innate powerful driving of self-interest that we have K. It's evident to all of us all of us want what's good for us? We don't we don't choose things that are not good for us. All right, and so surrender is right in line with that idea of thinking so what method do we use to accomplish this surrender? What can we do to help ourselves out in in surrendering so that we could become the spiritual the better spiritual you the first one is study Christ. All right. We need to study his life not simply to know the facts of it. But rather to imitate him ride this is not new news to any of us, but this is a step towards surrender. Paul gives us some practical information concerning some things required by the discipline of surrender. You see it there Hebrews 12 and 2. Fixing our eyes on who Jesus what is Jesus? He's the author and the Perfecter of Faith who for the joy set before him endure the cross. I would we see that right away. We saw that Jesus surrendered. Okay, so he's doing what he's calling. He has done what he's calling us to do. All right despising the shame and has set down at the right hand of the Throne of God blippi as chapter 2 verses 3 through 5 say do nothing or selfish or empty conceit. There's that surrender idea, but with humility of Mind regarding one another as more important than yourself in order for you to consider someone more important than you you're going to have to surrender yourself. You're going to have to surrender your the idea and the plans in the goals in the vision. But you have that makes you so much better than everybody else. Alright, and so we're going to have to be able to have that type of humility. Do not merely look out for your own personal interest. But also for the interests of others have this attitude in yourselves and Paul tells us that his attitude was first filed. Where is Bryce jisa? Okay. So as we practiced it these hairs for practices that we can recognize in Philippians 2:3 through 5 that we just read number one to do nothing from selfishness or from the seat. That's what we see in verse number 3, then we also see lift others up listen instead of talking for that would be a wonderful thing and if it can happen have any of you ever talked to somebody you knew they wouldn't you were talking and you know, they didn't hear what you said.

DC Universe number three number the number for don't only look out for self. Look out for the interests of others. And once again What a Wonderful World this would be if that practice was employed World why but people were looking out for the interests of others in the interest of themselves. Okay, I think that's why is go to war there. They looking out for their own interests and not looking out for the interests of others. And then also a number for we see looking out looking out for others 3 is not only looking out for yourself. And for is looking out for other. These are things that Jesus did that Paul is talking about it for lithium's chapter 2 their verses 3 through 5. He modeled it for us so that we could turn around and surrender ourselves. Like he did it allow him to overcome the world and guess what allows us to do overcome the world as well. Okay. Continue reading a through Philippians 2 verse number 6 and I think we're going to go to verse 11 the Bible says who although he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grass but emptied himself taking the form of a bond servant and being made in the likeness of a man. That's all about surrender. You guys see that you go to the Bible goes on to read being found in appearance as a man, right which was that was surrender because he was God, right? He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of boy that was about the big surrender him who was eternal surrender to death and that's the only way it could happen to a Divine being I'm pausing so that we get that. Death doesn't happen to the eternal.

You have to surrender to it. He gave up the ghost even death on a cross, right? So he didn't just surrender himself to death, but he experienced a cruel death.

Which was an example of amplification of the sins of the world. That was the price. Okay, but he can just come down here and have a quiet death. Because of the sins of the world he had a torious. very public shameful surrendering experience and you and I Tony we don't want to have a hangnail. No, we don't want to experience anybody ever sign up for pain. No, we don't sign up for paying we want to be as far away from Patty. We want everything to be easy when they say to be good. We want everything to go right? We don't want nothing to go wrong. That's not the experience in this world. The very creator of this world for this reason also God highly exalted because of his surrender God lifted his name above every name Hiba and bestowed on him the name which is above every name so that at the name of Jesus because of Jesus surrender at the name of Jesus every knee will bow out of those who are in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of the glory of God the Father. You know, what I was reading at the other day and every night I get these glimpses that amplifies God's word and and when I read and every tongue will confess always thought that everybody and so I thought of everybody in a different sense because oftentimes tongues are related to Nations. Yes. Yes. Understanding that not only is he saying everybody but there's the idea that every nation will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord doesn't matter where you come from what your background is what your socioeconomic status is every tongue will bow and confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father. So see how Jesus surrenders he released his grip on his position and he had a position unlike anyone in The Gnome Stratosphere Universe emptied himself of power and he was available to all power. He was if he wasn't worried about his previous status with the father. Okay, that's the type of faith that he exemplified for us. This is the surrender that he achieved that allowed him to overcome the world. Okay. You became not just a man but a poor lowly servant of man. He didn't come here and and exist as a man in this world as a king or a lord right. That could have been easily his right at that time. The greatest Empire the world was the Roman Empire could have been born to royalty. And served as a as a Caesar in this world and and made everything right for everybody. Right? Because we have been convinced that politics is the way to success and happiness in this world. Jesus could have been Caesar and he could have made rules that were righteous and everybody would have lived happily ever after right?

Cuz that's not the way you listen to Ultimate happiness. Everlasting happiness is not found in the rules of men is found in the law and the way of God, so he served poorly as a lowly servant and he accepted surrender to a cruel undeserved total surrender. It was difficult and it was easy for Jesus. We know the account in the garden, right? I mean when you are so worried that your sweat are as a droplets of blood. That's why I'm worried. That's not an easy thing. But but ultimately he got to that point that you and I may never have to get to but need to be prepared to go there not my will but thy will be done and then that led him to a cruel cross at Calvary and saw the first step towards to render is the study an imitation of the one who perfectly accomplished surrender and that Jesus the second thing after studying is then compare ourselves to cry and our lives up. This is the Bible's a ruler okay, if it can measure our lives and when it measures Our Lives, we will be found to be wanting if you've ever heard that phrase before we will not measure up to scripture. Okay, and so we need to compare Our Lives to Christ. So what does comparing ourselves to him mean and how does it cost of a surrender within us Hebrews 12 and 3/4 consider him right who has endured such hostility by Sinners against himself so that you will not grow weary and lose heart because all of us run up against difficulties and obstacles and people that don't like us and we don't get our way with Jesus experience the same thing. So it consider him who endured hostility. We endured hostility when we endure hostility consider Jesus in stem centers are against us. So consider him who has centers that were against him. And why do we do that so that we don't grow weary and that we won't faint that we won't give up because Jesus didn't give up next time you feel unfairly criticized feel discouraged because of your burden.

Because you're afraid to give up something pleasant and comfortable.

think of him make a pair of your situation to his in other words Keep Jesus as your standard all other human examples are driven. Every human example driven by the instinct to survive. only Jesus model perfect submission Y'all can go check that out. If you want. It would be wise only Jesus model perfect submission while we and others seek to preserve our lives. He came to lay his down. He came to lay his down for sinners like us so you can recognize the contrast and the difference there. He he can't week we are we still were in this world to build our lives up there to gain as many material possessions as we can to Foster as much social status as we can to achieve with the with think we're here to achieve the very most. Right. Jesus didn't come into the world. That way he came into the world to lay his life down.

And in the end from a lowly State a humble position. It's also compare ourselves to that so that we don't give up because as as hard as we think we have it in this world and all of us think we got it hard, right? We don't have the job we want we don't have this house. We want we don't have the kids we want. We we lost this we lost that we didn't achieve that. You know, if I could go back and just think of some of my goals and some of my desires, you know, it was going to be 6 ft 3 in the NBA, right, but you know what? I'm all right. I'm all right. But I can I found a Navy chief that peace in Christ. Amen. Not in the world and then at and every time when I consider myself years I have to come to that conclusion that that this so-called failure is only perceived in the world outside of this world. I'm Victorious over cop study Christ and imitate Christ and we can paralyze to his not ours not sports figures not Heroes not YouTube influencers Not actors that are on television. We have a lot of things that we light our lives up with and when we don't measure up to that we get really upset when we think that we having achieved what we should a tri. We're we're not as far along as we think we should be we we we are such a disappointment because we we not I asked this superficial goal that has been set before all of us. Another comparison should be with Jesus and imitate his life. When we do this again us the strength to carry on our own Christian life, even when we grow weary. So consider Christ compare ourselves to him and the third and last day and this can be hard as well because this is rather surrender reaches its boiling point and that's let go now if you have kids

Okay, I don't even have to preach this one. Huh? All right, and let me start when they're young, especially when they're little and they get into a fight. We we all know cuz we're older and we've been there whatever it is. They fighting about don't mean nothing. And what we try to tell the one is to just let it go. Sometimes you might tell the old one because they are going with the younger one. That's a sister. You know what we run out of words don't we because we have to learn we don't get that it when we were little because when we were little we're still in the flesh with your carnal that that that affront to our physical nature is used and it's the only thing that means anything to us, but when we grow older and we move away from the physical and get to the spiritual we understand that the flash needs to learn how to let it go cuz it doesn't mean anything and more times than not is keeping you from achieving that what you really want. Which is peace and happiness and blessings. Let It Go, but no you just don't understand. They call me outside my name or whatever or you know I've been sick. Why didn't get to sit up there all the time. And so think of the think of our father in Heaven and the things that we don't let go that we hold on to that don't amount to anything.

and he just My Sister Surrender What's up this around to releasing your grip on things that you want to possess? Releasing the control that you want to have. Freeze you to be in submission to God it is the effort. The hold tightly to your life and your goods that exhaust and enslaves you. I read that again. The effort and different way that it takes to hold onto your life and your goods is exhausting. It's hires of out physically and carnally and not only that it in slaves us all too often. We don't own possessions possessions own.

Do we have to learn how to let it go and let God do what he is going to do these things go by submitting them to God that freezer. Amen, and it doesn't take nearly half the energy to them. Enjoy the things that you have because you let God have them you turned them over to God now doesn't take all your Freddy and your worrying and everything High everything else is going to try. I'm going to tell you it's hard. I just had two boys moved to Tennessee and I love my life. My son worried to death about worried about the two we left here, right? but at some point

got let go.

Turn them over to God Praise Jesus. and when you do that It doesn't take nearly as much energy didn't lose didn't lose one ounce of love.

But surrender and letting God have his rightful place in my life, and the life of others is her huge freeing expression. That allows us to become the new spiritual you that surrender a man allows that to happen. But when we are the ones that are adamant. the carry wrong against us and we're the ones that are going to straighten things out and get the justice that is required.

However, many years the Lord has given you on this Earth. Will not be enough time and energy to achieve that Justice.

And John chapter 12 verses 24 through 25 truly truly. I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the Earth and dies it remains alone. But if it dies it Bears what?

He who loves his life loses it. And he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal simple. Mike mazzalongo can make some of these lessons that could be a very difficult passage to understand but underneath the background which we have just put it it makes complete sense. We think loving Our Lives means one thing and hating Our Lives mean something else when all the scriptures talking about is surrendering to God.

surrendering to God So the true life or you can say the true Freedom can only be found in submission to God the question. Therefore is how do we let go? How is it done in Practical terms Proverbs 3 verses 5 and 6 says trust in the Lord with what your heart and do not lean on your we got an idea what Justice looks like coffee should go don't lean on your own understanding. And it all your ways acknowledge Him. And what will he will make your paths straight? Do not be wise in your own eyes before the Lord and turn away from Evil. It will it will be healing to your body because even though this a lot of these things happen in our minds that they have physical consequences worry has physical consequences. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your balls are some practical advice number one. Let go of your possessions.

College before God In Prayer that all of what you have actually belongs to him. You are only a steward Stewart. Have you ever managed? Somebody else's finances with somebody else's things or whatever his real easy for you to see what they don't need.

Can I get a menu and you can tell them what I know why you're broke and need to get rid of this. You need to get rid of that. Didn't you tell them what you going to stop in there? Like I don't know. I need that. I've been doing this for

Where is Stuart? Of our possessions we take a different view of our possessions just like when you were Steward of somebody else's money. And if you're if you're a good caretaker of their money, then you get rid of the things that harm them the things that are keeping them from being successful or having money in the bank and the like you tell your kids all day long with you need to be spending money on.

Cool boy the week if we were the stewards of their earnings there Liza look a lot different.

Right, but we need to learn how to let go of opposite number to let go your desire for position. Release your hunger for recognition or benefits and advantages and allowed just release all of that to God begin to find your security your value and identity in him alone. I have come to believe now that are you are not ready to date.

Until they know who they are. And God truth. That's true. I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Because they often find their value they're worth their security and the person that they're dating. That's right. They are the one that gives them happiness. They're the ones that make them feel desired. They're the one that makes them feel wanted. And oftentimes they're the one that leaves and where they at. They're the one that they're always cracking. Yeah, the one that's making them mad. The other one that's not doing what they think they should be doing. We need to learn how to put that desire which is our security are value and identity in price when you do that. You ready for the world? Let go of your plans or told me you always say I'm out for with this one. You want to make God laugh. And of course we have to make plans when I saying you don't make plans plans. I think the Bible is very clear about that. If you go before you go to war you need to count the cost. Right. Well, that's not the idea here, but be ready and patient when God changes them. Not becoming angry and discouraged when plans are changed is a clear and sincere way of demonstrating that we have let go the exclusive control over our plans. Have you think about it? That's why we have a Second Corinthian letter. We were talking about this morning pause plans changed and because of that they started bringing his apostleship then the question. So much stores are required him to write a Second Epistle explaining his apostleship. Right? Right, but Paul understood what they didn't understand is that his plans Paul have that go to the Christ to God. He was ordering his step based on how God moved here. And so we need to be able to do to do that. Same thing as what I know. Y'all have big plans. I have been playing still got big plans, but when they don't go the way that I want him to and I want to tell you even to this day they don't go to where I want to Right, you got them understand. They let God be in control and then fourth let go of your people. Enjoy your family and friends but realize. It could be a tough one. There they are only temporary. Right now we should know that in this congregation. We've lost some very close Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

And it's not it's not it's not going to stop. It's going to continue. But this is a tough lesson of surrender. Is that we're here? Just for a little while.

Give them and your hopes for them. over to God

transfer the responsibility for their lives. and their happiness the guy think I have that the rewards of surrender all the surprises that God has in store for you when you surrender to him. the world. Doesn't upset you as much when you're a Stewart. When you have surrendered to God and God keeps you. And in those situations they can do that. I've had a very very they keep talking about it, but extremely low point in my life.

All the anger all the tears all the crying all the plans of Revenge. None of that would have brought me peace at all over to God. It brought me peace and it brought me through. We all should be able to be able to say that in our existence here on this Earth. The greater the struggle to surrender the greater the surprise. That you have on how God will sustain you so reward of surrender equals God's surprised there 5 study questions that I am not going to go through. But for those of you that are with us tonight online and those of that you are here tonight, if you have a prayer request if you desire to to walk with God in it and you heard his word tonight and you believe that word if you believe it in a way that you could come to understand that Jesus Christ is God, so willing to make that confession before you're willing to turn your life around and start living by surrendering and walking in the light as he is in the light if you're prepared to be baptized for the remission of your sins and your candidate for salvation. your candidate for a new spiritual you by surrendering your thoughts to his and following his commands. If you have a prayer request we have to come as I turn the service back over to my brother, Tony.

excellent lesson Excellent, and we're going to continue with our services for those who did not have the opportunity this morning. We going to do that now anybody needs an appointment? Okay.